10 Feb '20 21:06>
The fourth power of any prime greater
than 5 is one more than a multiple of 120.
I stumbled across that by noting (p-2)(p-1)(p+1)(p+2)
must be divisible by 120 since one of the brackets must
be a multiple of 5, one must be a multiple of 3, and of the two
even numbers one must be a multiple of 4.
Hence the product is divisible by 5*3*2*4 (=120)
By expanding the brackets and playing around one
can then show that p^4 -1 is a multiple of 120.
But there is a much easier proof.
What is it?
than 5 is one more than a multiple of 120.
I stumbled across that by noting (p-2)(p-1)(p+1)(p+2)
must be divisible by 120 since one of the brackets must
be a multiple of 5, one must be a multiple of 3, and of the two
even numbers one must be a multiple of 4.
Hence the product is divisible by 5*3*2*4 (=120)
By expanding the brackets and playing around one
can then show that p^4 -1 is a multiple of 120.
But there is a much easier proof.
What is it?